267 



the difficulties, attending the attempt to put down 

 the evil by t!ie strong arm alone, become indeed 

 iosuperable. 



In 1826 the Dutch Resident of Rhio despatcli- 

 ed the colonial marines in Governmeut vessels, 

 which were accompanied by native boats be- 

 lonj^ing to the Rajah Moodah of that settlement, 

 on an expedition towards the Carimons, where it 

 was understood that the pirates had congregated 

 in large numbers. This undertaking had every 

 prospect of giving a severe blow to piracy, but. uri- 

 fortunatelv, the native boats reached their desti- 

 nation first, and were beaten before the arrival oi 

 the troops, the pirates having, in the interior, 

 taken the alarm and retreated. 



Several attempts have been also made by the 

 Britibh, but, with the exception of the destructi- 

 on of the piratical nest of Korow, nothing materi- 

 al has been effected. Owing to the difference of 

 si^e existirtg between a man of war and a praku^ 

 the latter of course discerns her tall enemy long 

 before she herself is visible from the mast head. 

 Latterly a few gun-boats have been equipped, 

 but they do not appear tq be a whit more suc- 

 cessful. Whether the pirates avoid coming in 

 contact with them, or the crews are either brib- 

 ed or frightened into inactivity, 1 shall not stop 

 to enquire, as my object is to state the inefficien- 

 cy of the system, not to investigate the causes 

 which prevent its working welL As, therefore, 

 neither the cruizes of men of war nor the shorter 

 excursions of native rigged and armed boats 

 have tended to the suppression of piracy, and as 

 the habits of the people themselves have under- 



